Nightblade Tank w/ Supplemental Heals

Introduction

Welcome to Nightblade Tank w/ Supplemental Heals! This build is a variation of the Siphoner build but with a lot more healing power built into it. There is a lot of health leeching built into the build both in armor and skills and on top of that, it also uses a Restoration Staff for some extra healing power. You can switch this out for another sword and shield combo, or even a Lightning staff to apply Elemental Blockade for off-balance. I like the Restoration Staff personally because it lets me do more for the group and take some pressure off the healer. Plus on top of that, there are a total of 5 healing skills and you generate Ultimate like crazy so you’re a self-healing, Aggressive Warhorn popping machine! Also an added bonus, using the right mix of skills can get you upwards of 10k DPS. I won’t get into the damage dealing portion of this build, I’ll leave it to you to play with and have fun experimenting with.

Resource Management

Resources are managed through heavy attacking with the Sword and Shield bar to regain Stamina and also leaves the option open to heavy attack with your Restoration Staff for Magicka… and spell power/trash pots. The healing abilities will maintain your health without issue.

Gear Selection and Location

Leeching – Imperial City Prison – This set puts a cloud of poison under attackers and returns all damage dealt to you in the form of health

Bahraha’s Curse – Hew’s Bane Overland / Thieves Guild Daily Quests – This set ALSO puts a DoT under enemies when you do damage to them and the damage done returns to you in the form of health

Swarm Mother’s – Head: Spindleclutch I, Shoulder: Maj al-Ragath Undaunted chest – This set is great for unconventional tanks. Every time you block a ranged attack, it pulls the enemy to you with no cooldown. It’s the Fiery Grip equivalent from a DK

Skills

Swallow Soul – This skill is one of the HoT’s(Healing over Time) that you’re going to use. It’s single target based so works better on bosses and larger enemies as opposed to mobs of adds. Also when this skill is slotted you gain Minor Vitality, increasing your healing received.

Sap Essence – This does damage to all enemies nearby and heals for EACH enemy hit. So needless to say, you want to use this when you’re dealing with mobs of adds. You get an added bonus heal for each enemy you hit.

Pierce Armor – Your melee taunt. This is also a debuff reducing the enemies physical and spell resistance, so always a mandatory tanking skill.

Siphoning Attacks – This is a heal based on your attack. Keep this active and your light attacks and heavy attacks will heal you AND restore Magicka. You will also restore additional Magicka when the effect ends.

Bone Shield – This is your standard damage shield. You don’t necessarily need this for the tanking build since you do so much self heals, but it’s nice to have as a little extra help to yourself. Also, allies can synergize this and get a shield of their own… so it’s a nice thing to help out the team.

Ultimate: Soul Harvest – You aren’t using this Ultimate for the actual ability, you’re just keeping it slotted for the Ultimate generation. Any time an enemy dies, you gain 10 Ultimate, so running through dungeons and the Nightblade Ultimate passives, you’ll be building your Ultimate very quickly. This is what makes you that Aggressive Warhorn machine!

Bar 2

Healing Springs – This is an area heal for yourself(or others if they need it). It stacks three times, but doesn’t last very long. Also you restore a bit of Magicka when you target other players with it. This skill is a flex skill if you plan on using a Sword and Shield(Heroic Slash for Minor Maim) or Destruction Staff(Elemental Blockade for off balance).

Mutagen – This is another HoT that healers often use. If they don’t, or they aren’t using it as often then here you have it. It’s another flex skill if you use a Sword and Shield(Defensive Posture for block cost reduction) or Destruction Staff(Elemental Susceptability for enemy debuffing).

Inner Fire – Your standard ranged taunt. It’s great to have the ranged and melee taunts because one is Magicka and one is Stamina. If you’re low on one resource and NEED to taunt, then use the other resource based taunt.

Refreshing Path – This needs to stay active all the time. Not only is it a HoT for you and two allies, casting it will grant you Major Ward and Resolve to help those resistances.

Ultimate: Aggressive Warhorn – You can’t be an Aggressive Warhorn machine without having the skill slotted. Use this primarily in boss fights and larger enemies, but if you are generating it fast enough… use ’em if you got ’em!

Passives Required

Alchemy: Medicinal Use (Not necessary but good for trying other builds later)

Rotation

As primarily a tank, you need to always keep your taunt up. Taunting is quite literally, the only reason you’re here… taunting and absorbing the damage, but mainly the taunt. Keep taunt active and then if/when necessary, you can look play with rotation. As a tank, keeping your Refreshing Path up will also help with your resistances and make the rotation easier to get through. There isn’t a huge rotation to this, but there are a few points to remember so I’ll bullet point them:

Keep your Refreshing Path active for additional HoTs and to maintain your Major Resolve and Ward

Keep your health siphoning abilities active when in battle and try not to move around as much if possible so you can maximize the damage done by your DoTs